


No Such Thing As Too Much

by LadyDrace



Series: Junk Ficlets from Tumblr [134]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Communication, Consent, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Insecure Stiles Stilinski, Insecurity, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, POV Derek Hale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 14:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13591737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyDrace/pseuds/LadyDrace
Summary: Stiles is hesitant with his kisses, but not for the reason Derek thinks. Good thing communication is a thing they do now.





	No Such Thing As Too Much

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emela/gifts).



> This was a birthday present for my lovely Emma _in 2016_ , that's how behind I am on this. Oh well. Still love you. <3
> 
> Originally posted [here on Tumblr](http://ladydrace.tumblr.com/post/155152419511/happy-birthday-emma).
> 
> Unbetaed.

Stiles is strangely hesitant with his kisses.

 

Not all the time, but enough so that it seems like a breath of fresh air every time he just goes in for a kiss with no hesitation, and Derek drinks them in every time.

 

They haven't had sex yet, by mutual agreement, because Derek is rusty and wary, and Stiles is eager but scared. He doesn't like to talk about it, but it's clear in how his scent goes metallic and sour with fear whenever things get too intense, and there's obvious relief in his every expression every time Derek dials things back down. Derek assumes it's the same thing with the kissing, and just lets Stiles ease into it at his own pace. He definitely won't be the first teenager to jump into a relationship, only to belatedly realize he might not have been as ready for everything as he'd thought, and Derek is more than happy giving him whatever time he needs.

 

But Derek realizes he might have gotten a few things wrong one day when Stiles goes in for a kiss, only to veer off at the last second with a muttered curse and a low ” _sorry_ ,” before literally fleeing to the other side of the room. Derek follows him cautiously, deliberately keeping himself relaxed and unintimidating, and puts a gentle hand on Stiles' shoulder where he sits curled into himself in front of his laptop.

 

”Hey, no need to be sorry. If you change your mind, you change your mind. I promise I'm not upset, you can take as much time as you need. You don't have to force yourself into anything, not even a peck on the cheek or holding hands or whatever.”

 

Stiles turns to stare at him with obvious disbelief. ”That's not... what?”

 

Seeing as he's not easing away from Derek's touch or closing off in any way, Derek takes a chance and sits down on the couch next to him.

 

”Maybe we need to have a talk? I know you don't like to talk about your fears, but we might have to.”

 

Stiles blinks at him, mouth opening and closing a few times before he finds the right words. ”No kidding, because what are you even talking about? My _fears_?”

 

”Okay, so maybe not fears, but... insecurities? Whatever you wanna call them.” Derek is perfectly willing to adjust the language if it makes Stiles feel more comfortable, but it only seems to make him more confused. He's good at ignoring his problems, but this level of denial is new.

 

”Derek, I'm... I'm not afraid. Or insecure or whatever.” Derek raises an eyebrow at him because a lie that blatant doesn't even merit a verbal response. ”Okay, yes, I am insecure, but like... over _this_ ,” he says, gesticulating vaguely at his body. ”Not the... I wanna kiss you.”

 

”I get that, but it's okay to want something you're not actually ready for. You shouldn't cross your own boundaries just because you think you _should_ be ready.”

 

”No, Derek, I mean. I wanna kiss you _all the time_. I'm not kidding. Every waking moment,” he says quietly, scent going tangy with embarrassment. ”And I just... we've only been together for a few weeks, and I didn't want you to... you know... get sick of me on day one.”

 

Derek feels like his brain is trying to turn itself inside out making sense of that statement, because _what the hell_. ”What are you talking about?”

 

”Look, I just... I didn't wanna go from zero to sixty and be a clingy-ass virgin hanging off you all the time. I thought I'd ease into it. Especially after everything you've been through.”

 

It's a valid point, but Derek still thinks it's one of the dumbest things he's ever heard. ”And you never stopped to consider that maybe I'd let you know if you were being clingy?”

 

”No! Cause you're a goddamn marshmallow who would try way too hard not to hurt my feelings, because you are _good_ , Derek Hale. Way too good for me,” Stiles says firmly, his hands finding Derek's with tight grip and almost desperate pressure.

 

”We're, uh... we're probably gonna have to disagree on that,” Derek croaks, voice gone rusty with sudden emotion. ”But... you trust me, right?”

 

”With my life,” Stiles says without hesitation, and Derek squeezes his hands, because how the hell did karma find reason to bless Derek with someone like Stiles?

 

”I know, but that's not what I meant. Do you trust me to do what I say I will?”

 

It takes a few more seconds, but the answer still comes easy off the tongue. ”Yes.”

 

”Then trust me on this: I will definitely let you know if you're going too fast or too far, or if I need you to back off. As long as I've got my free will, I swear to you I'll use it.” The ghost of Jennifer still hangs over them, but, if anything, her influence was a lesson to Derek about the importance of having free will and consent.

 

”Okay then,” Stiles says slowly, a small smile pulling at his cheek. ”But I kinda need you to tell me... how much is too much? With the kissing, I mean.”

 

Derek frowns. ”I don't understand.”

 

”I mean, at what point are you gonna think: ' _this is too much kissing for me'_? Just so I have a baseline.”

 

”Stiles... I don't think _you_ understand. I wanna kiss _you_ all the time too. I've only been holding back because it seemed like you were a little scared.”

 

It's kind of beautiful to watch Stiles' face as it sinks in, and his smile becomes almost blinding before he rushes at Derek, falling into his arms with such a sigh of bliss that Derek feels tears prickle at his eyes. How could they both have read things so wrong?

 

”Promise me,” Stiles mouths against his lips. ”Promise me you'll let me know if-”

 

”I promise. I swear I'll speak up. But you... you gotta promise me the same.”

 

Stiles' arms tighten around Derek's neck, but there's no pause in his hungry kiss for a long, breathless moment. ”Okay, I promise.”

 

It's not the end of it. Derek doesn't expect it to be. These things are never so easily fixed. But when Stiles leans in later that night for yet another kiss, glancing at Derek's swollen and flushed lips, he asks ”okay?” instead of just backing off, and Derek pulls him in with a smile, reveling in the soreness of his jaw and the beard burn steadily finding a home on Stiles' face.

 

It's gonna be all right.

 

End.

 


End file.
